Wednesday, February 8, 2017

A good lesson for me

When Jesus suffered His agony in the garden, no one understood His pain. His friends, who loved Him deeply, and were grieved to see Him in agony, couldn't even stay awake to comfort Him. Three times He came back for comfort, and three times His friends failed Him.

This gives me insight about the frailty of human beings and how limited we are in our well intended words to be there for one another. It even gives me comfort. I guess God already knew, that even though He put three human beings only a stones throw away to be there for His Son, that they wouldn't be able to give Him the comfort He needed. Yet, He allowed Him to experience this anyway.

It gives me comfort to understand those who can't always relieve me of my pain. Who say they will, but forget, or unintentionally add to it. It even gives me comfort to excuse myself when I find myself helpless to help Luke, who continues to struggle with this tic; helpless to even get him to sleep at night.

I know that Jesus knew what to do, but, as shown so often in the Gospels for our benefit, He allowed Himself to be deprived of human comfort, even though He told His friends that "My soul was sorrowful even unto death, stay and watch with Me." (Matthew 26:28)

Maybe we aren't here to comfort each other or relieve one another's pain. Maybe we're here just to simply show the effort. To sit and "watch" with one another. Just to make the journey with them. Even St.Theresa of Calcutta understood her human limitations and didn't try to save anyone; but to be their companion in their last hours. I believe that is all we are called to do--and to do it well.

So my thoughts go further: once Jesus found no one to comfort Him, where did He turn?

This is how bad things turn into something good; when we find God in our darkness. The anger and disappointment over others leave, and understanding of self (and others) come in. Forgiveness comes next. Dependency on God deepens, and suddenly, you feel the strength to go on.

This is why the saints had the humility to thank God for trials; they knew that as painful and hard as they were, they needed them.